This week the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in favor of two Christian business owners who were sued by the City of Phoenix for not designing a gay couple’s wedding invitations.
A little background about the business owners. “Duka and Koski own Brush & Nib an art studio that produces handcrafted invitations. Duka and Koski are Christians who do not want to be forced to do things that violate their religious beliefs. Thus, in addition to making a profit, Duka and Koski seek to operate Brush & Nib consistent with their religious beliefs.”
The city of Phoenix claims that the company discriminated against an LGBTQ company.
The Court did not agree, stating that “the City of Phoenix (the “City”) cannot apply its Human Relations Ordinance (the “Ordinance”) to force Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski, owners of Brush & Nib Studios, LC (“Brush & Nib”), to create custom wedding invitations celebrating same-sex wedding ceremonies in violation of their sincerely held religious beliefs.”
The court went on to clarify that “the government must not be allowed to force persons to express a message contrary to their deepest convictions.”
This is a HUGE victory for Christian-owned businesses!